Read+Alouds


 * What are read alouds and what can they do for instruction? **

A read aloud is a planned oral reading of a book or print excerpt, usually related to a theme or topic of study. The read aloud can be used to engage the student listener while developing background knowledge, increasing comprehension skills, and fostering critical thinking. A read aloud can be used to model the use of reading strategies that aid in comprehension.


 * Benefits of using read alouds **

One of the most important things adults can do in preparing children for success in school and in reading is to read aloud with them. · Listeners build listening and comprehension skills through discussion during and after reading. · Listeners increase their vocabulary foundation by hearing words in context. · Listeners improve their memory and language skills as they hear a variety of writing styles and paraphrase their understanding. · Listeners gain information about the world around them. · Listeners develop individual interests in a broad variety of subjects and they develop imagination and creativity: what better way to build skills which foster inquiry?


 * Why read alouds in science? **

Science-related literature, especially non-fiction, is often an untapped resource for read aloud book selections. By choosing well-written, engaging science books, teachers provide the opportunity to introduce students to new genres of literature at the same time as they model reading and thinking strategies that foster critical thinking. Science-related books motivate students. Whether emergent readers or avid readers, children often select nature and science books as their favorite genre of literature. Read alouds can inspire the teacher, too. Often early childhood or elementary teachers are uncomfortable with teaching science. They know there should be more to their instruction than the textbook, but they do not feel like 'experts' in the science content or process. Using read alouds can complement the curriculum and help students make connections between their knowledge, the textbook and their own questions.


 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Read alouds can be used to **

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">introduce lessons <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">provide an introduction to new concepts and increase science vocabulary <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">lower the abstract nature of science textbooks' explanations <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">invite conversation and generate questions for discussion and investigations <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">model scientific thinking <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">provide content to support hands-on investigations <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">model different problem-solving approaches to science that may support students in their own scientific investigations <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">examine the colorful illustrations and photographs; they can tell a story beyond the words on the page Using a read aloud-think aloud **
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">When students are provided with models and explanations of the reasoning involved in reading, they are better able to use the modeled strategies on their own. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Typically a science-related read aloud focuses on a science concept, the author's craft or a particular literary feature. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Don't do everything with one read aloud; use a variety of opportunities to revisit a particular focus and limit how much you focus on with any one book. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Inspire questions and investigations by modeling curiosity and question-posing-- let the students in on the 'secret' of how you, the teacher, construct questions. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Explicitly share thinking processes-- thinking aloud is making thinking public. For instance, "When I look at this picture of children playing in the wind, I think of the wind near our school. It always seems strongest to me over near Ms. Foster's room." OR "I wonder what the author means when she says ...." OR "Wait, this seems different than what we read in book X. I wonder how to decide which author to believe." <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Improve comprehension of science text by modeling the use of reading strategies that are most helpful for reading a particular type of literature. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Use books about scientists and their work to inspire questions about scientific processes or the importance of life events in choosing a career.

For example, Donna Dieckman reads books such as //A Snake Scientist// or //Elephant Woman// to invite her students into the field with working scientists and to explore the questions and the challenges they encounter in their work. As she reads, she pauses to reflect aloud on her wonderings, which in turn both model and inspire wonderings in her students.